Gawker: ugly betty

Lesbian Love Not Enough To Save Lindsay Lohan's Career

Richard — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:52:00 EDT

As we briefly mentioned earlier, poor formerly-drug-addled actress Lindsay Lohan has seen her role on hit-ish ABC dramedy Ugly Betty cut from six episodes to four. And, in fact, E! reports that Lohan will also be cut out of the episodes she's already filmed, as "she was not so interested in creating a character." Yikes. Word is, she was an unpleasant, chain-smoking, diva on set, especially toward the show's star, America Ferrera. Lindsay was pissy and lazy and demanding and the two butted heads, all culminating when it came time to film a big pantsing scence. Yes, pantsing.

Reports Page Six:

One episode, titled "Granny Pants," was about how Lohan, playing Betty's high school nemesis, would "de-pants" Ferrera. But Ferrera exacts her revenge and pulls down Lohan's pants instead. "Lindsay wasn't wearing any underwear," the source said.

But a Lohan pal fumed, "Bull [bleep]! Lindsay wears underwear all the time now. She was wearing a G-string. And it was America's fault. They were rehearsing the scene and America wasn't supposed to pull Lindsay's pants down - but she did. Lindsay was so embarrassed, she started crying."

So, sigh. Aside from the fact that when a friend "defends" you by saying that you "[wear] underwear all the time now" you just might be the saddest person in the world, it's just... really? These sound like deeply silly problems. Lindsay, m'dear, you were doing so well! No feuds! No druggery! No drunken debacles! You'd even settled down with your nice ladyfriend Samantha Ronson. Why the 180?

I guess the great new lesbian hope—a reformed Lindsay, a clean Lindsay, an out loud 'n proud Lindsay—was just a dream some of us had. I mean, it'd be nice to think that LiLo isn't actually completely tainted, at such a young age, by the hideousness of showbiz, that there's still hope yet for a rescue. But, if she can't even act grateful when a sweet dimbulb show like Ugly Betty throws her a plum guest-star bone, in a time when she was damn near unemployable—remember that letter that got her almost booted from Georgia Rule? That was almost. This is definite. Not good—well... maybe she's a lost cause after all. Which means the femme gay community needs a new de facto poster girl. What about that Katy Perry?

Oh. Oh right.

How Blogs Helped New York TV

Richard — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:22:00 EDT

There are rumors afoot that Ugly Betty, the ABC dramedy set inside a gay person's head, will shoot its next season on location in New York. This makes perfect sense. An insider at the show says it's cheaper to shoot on location (really?), but here's our theory: these days, what with the internet at all, it's also a great marketing strategy. Look at a show like Gossip Girl, which is constantly showing up in tabloids and on, um, gossip blogs when they're filming around town. Free publicity! A cigar-chomping network executive's dream! Even a show like 30 Rock, which isn't exactly tabloid fodder, surely benefits from a few sightings once in a while. Shooting on location also offers a sense of immediacy just that isn't there on a studio backdrop (or green screen) or in a script written in a faraway writer's room.

On last night's Gossip Girl, they were able to toss off references to Tinsley Mortimer, the Waverly Inn, and Page Six (among lots of others) with the ease of an up-on-the-gossip local. It just feels a bit more organic. Couple these timely references with all the around-town sightings and paparazzi photos, and you blur the line between the reality and the fiction. Coverage of the show is everywhere and multi-faceted. It's like living the show in real-time! If blogs and whatnot are chattering away about where a show is filming, who saw who where, etc. then you've got instant, sort of "unearned" buzz. And, yeah, it's basically free. This may seem annoying to some, but it does get people curious and watching. This isn't to say that Ugly Betty has quite the same rabid cult following as teeny drip shows like Gossip Girl, or that the solid hit needs much help, but still the potential is there for some "oh look there they are!" excitement. Plus, on location just looks better. Oh Michael Urie, where aaare youuu?

America Ferrera Loves Her 'CosmoGIRL!' Cover

Doree Shafrir — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:15:37 EST

At a luncheon for the new issue of CosmoGIRL! the other day, February cover girl America Ferrera (she of Ugly Betty fame) couldn't help but point out some interesting text placement on the new issue:

Cosmo Girl Managing Editor Susan Schultz unveiled the magazine's February cover with Ferrera as its poster girl, declaring it the "unofficial self-esteem issue."

Since it coincided with the launch of ABC's "Be Ugly" campaign, pushing both "Betty" and anti-aesthetic beauty worldviews, Ferrara couldn't help but point out the issue's unfortunate placement of the tagline "I was forced to be a prostitute" underneath her Betty headshot.

This never would've happened when 'Toos was in charge.

Happy to be Ugly [AdAge]